This Month's Latest Tech News in Savannah, GA - Saturday May 31st 2025 Edition

May 2025 marks Savannah's emergence as a key player on the Southeastern tech map, with Georgia's data center boom propelling the region's AI infrastructure forward.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) confirmed a landmark investment of $11 billion in Georgia to expand AI and cloud computing infrastructure, fueling more than 550 new high-skilled jobs and fortifying Savannah's readiness for the next wave of innovation.

Backed by nearly 160 major data centers statewide and 11 additional projects in planning, Georgia's surge is unparalleled - data center development in metro Atlanta, for instance, has soared 211% since 2023, the fastest in the nation according to FOX 5 Atlanta's recent industry analysis.

Yet, the unprecedented pace also brings challenges, including heavy demands on the power grid and spirited local debates about environmental impacts. As AWS ramps up GPU-powered AI workloads and Microsoft's $80 billion global push for advanced AI data centers continues, national forecasts see the U.S. server market reaching $1.3 trillion by 2028 (PYMNTS reports).

Savannah's breakout moment is here: investment, opportunity, and infrastructure are converging to shape the city's future at the vanguard of the AI revolution.

Georgia is rapidly solidifying its status as a gateway to the AI age, propelled by Amazon Web Services' (AWS) historic $11 billion investment in new data centers across Butts and Douglas Counties.

This expansion will create at least 550 high-skilled jobs, further bolstering an already thriving ecosystem that saw Atlanta named the top U.S. city for new data center construction in 2024 and a 76% surge in building activity.

Georgia's data center landscape now boasts nearly 160 major facilities, with 11 more in development and heavy investments from AWS, Microsoft, and Google cementing the state's importance in cloud and AI infrastructure.

These large-scale projects are intensifying demand for power and technical talent, spurring upgrades at nuclear, hydroelectric, and other generation plants. As Roger Wehner, AWS's VP of Economic Development, noted:

“Georgia's business-friendly environment has enabled investments like this one. This multibillion-dollar project will not only create high-paying jobs but also significantly benefit the state's economy.”

In fact, Georgia's advantages - including robust fiber connectivity, lower business costs, and reduced risk from natural disasters - make it uniquely attractive to cloud and AI innovators.

The table below summarizes key developments highlighting Georgia's transformation:

Company	Project Scope	Location	Estimated Cost	Jobs Created
AWS	New data centers	Butts & Douglas Counties	$11B	550+
Microsoft	Multiple data centers	Atlanta metro & Rome	$80B (US/global)	N/A
QTS	Project Excalibur campus (16 buildings)	Fayetteville, GA	$1B+	N/A

For a deeper dive into how AI is fueling this construction boom and the region's growing economic impact, check out the full industry analysis at AI fueling data center construction boom in Georgia and recent coverage on AWS's infrastructure investments supporting AI innovation.

Algoma, a Harvard-founded proptech startup, recently secured $2.3 million in funding to accelerate the digital transformation of real estate development, with a notable impact in Savannah through the sustainable 1500 Waters project.

The firm's AI-native platform rapidly streamlines zoning research, market intelligence, and feasibility workflows, specifically aiming to empower small and mid-sized developers and enable sophisticated investment analysis in minutes rather than weeks.

This technological leap is showcased at 1500 Waters, an 18,000-square-foot, four-story multi-family building in Savannah's Live Oak neighborhood, which uses mass timber construction to deliver high-quality, low-carbon, and efficient housing - a direct response to housing shortages and climate demands as detailed in Tech Funding News.

Mass timber's rise in the U.S. addresses environmental and supply challenges by offering faster construction timelines, cost-effectiveness, and significant carbon sequestration, with each cubic meter locking away roughly one metric ton of CO₂ according to Progress Chamber research.

Algoma's platform, paired with mass timber innovation, is reshaping Savannah's real estate landscape by combining digital efficiency and climate-responsible design.

As Josef Bromovsky, Algoma's CEO, explains:

“We built Algoma to bring the speed, clarity, and intelligence that today's developers deserve.”

For more on Savannah's leadership in green construction and mass timber initiatives, visit the official 1500 Waters project page to explore the development's sustainable features.

Savannah's manufacturing sector is entering a new era as Georgia-Pacific pilots enhanced digital twins at its Savannah River Mill, leveraging a powerful partnership between SAS's advanced AI analytics and Epic Games' Unreal Engine.

This innovation allows Georgia-Pacific to create photorealistic, interactive simulations of its factory - enabling real-time optimization of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and other operations without any disruption to actual production lines.

As Roshan Shah, VP of AI & Products at Georgia-Pacific, explains,

“With the help of SAS and Unreal Engine, we can create realistic simulations of factory operations. Imagine watching AGVs navigate through a bustling factory floor, reacting to proximity alerts, obstacles and rare adverse events in real time. The powerful analysis and photorealistic simulations delivered by SAS' enhanced digital twins can enable decision making and boost output at Savannah River Mill. And they hold great promise for improving productivity, safety and efficiency at other GP facilities.”

The collaboration uses SAS's Viya® platform to transform vast sensor data into actionable insights, while the Unreal Engine delivers true-to-life 3D experiences that democratize analytics for frontline workers and engineers, not just data scientists.

Bryan Harris, CTO at SAS, notes that “gamifying business processes” appeals to a new tech-savvy workforce and increases engagement and productivity. This virtual innovation is expected to generate cost savings, higher product quality, and is scalable across more Georgia-Pacific facilities.

For a deeper look at this breakthrough and commentary from industry leaders, explore the in-depth coverage by SAS on digital twins and Unreal Engine in manufacturing, read the feature from CFOTECH Asia on SAS & Epic Games in smart factories, and review the analysis at Techzine on the integration's operational benefits.

The BIG Tide Summit spotlighted Savannah's role in Georgia AIM Week - a bold initiative to bridge the AI opportunity gap for youth and underserved communities. Led by Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing (Georgia AIM), the statewide showcase brought the high-tech Georgia AIM Mobile Studio, a 53-foot trailer packed with hands-on exhibits like VR, drones, robotics, and computer vision, to schools and community centers across the state, including Savannah.

Backed by a historic $65 million federal grant, the project engaged over 3,000 students and 1,500 teachers last year, and doubled K-12 robotics programs in regions such as Middle Georgia.

Workforce development was central, with new technical college labs, manufacturing apprenticeships, and STEM challenges introducing students to AI-enhanced tech jobs.

As Christina Killingsworth of the U.S. EDA emphasized,

“AI is the defining technology of our generation. It has the power to democratize access to information, enhance efficiency … but also can exacerbate economic disparity. We must embrace AI's promise while mitigating risks.”

Targeting rural and underrepresented groups including women, people of color, and veterans, Georgia AIM's collaborative approach - teaming with partners like the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs and Technologists of Color - demonstrated a commitment to making “manufacturing cool” and accessible.

For more on the summit's tech-forward programming and statewide impact, visit the Georgia AIM Week overview or details on how municipal leaders are harnessing AI for workforce growth in new workshop partnerships.

Savannah has emerged as a central hub in the evolution of AI-powered retail automation with Naturals2Go and VendTech unveiling a comprehensive self-service ecosystem at the recent NAMA Show 2025.

These Savannah-headquartered brands have consolidated forces to offer the industry's most complete “one-stop-shop” for unattended retail - combining AI-enhanced vending equipment, advanced payment systems, micro markets, and operator-first business solutions under one roof.

According to the National Automatic Merchandising Association, unattended retail is now a $34.9 billion industry, and Naturals2Go alone supports over 2,300 vending operators, representing approximately 14% of U.S. vending businesses.

The new suite from VendTech and Naturals2Go aims to streamline every stage of vending entrepreneurship, from initial machine placement to business scaling with scalable technology and expert support.

As highlighted in their official partnership announcement by Naturals2Go and VendTech, both companies have been celebrated for their innovations, people-powered culture, and a strong local workforce model that blends remote and community-based teams.

The breadth of their self-service technology was on display in Las Vegas, drawing attention to Savannah's growing influence in smart retail automation (technology highlights and ecosystem details of Naturals2Go and VendTech).

As summarized by VendTech,

“When you invest in people, success follows. That's how Naturals2Go and VendTech - led by the same team - are expanding together to offer the most complete, people-powered solutions in unattended retail.”

For a comprehensive overview of their impact and achievements, including their 13-year streak as a top business opportunity, visit the joint innovation announcement by VendTech and Naturals2Go.

Metric	Value
US Unattended Retail Market Size	$34.9 billion
Vending Operators Supported	2,300+ (Approx. 14% of US Market)
#1 Business Opportunity Streak	13 consecutive years

This month, Savannah's tech scene watched as Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene engaged in a highly visible feud with Grok, Elon Musk's AI chatbot on the X platform, over the scrutiny of her religious and political identity.

Grok - a self-described “truth-seeking AI companion” - was widely used by X users to fact-check or provide context on Greene's social media statements, particularly around her Christian faith and her support of controversial policies and conspiracy theories.

When asked if Greene's actions aligned with the teachings of Jesus, Grok replied, “No,” and offered nuanced responses that both acknowledged her stated beliefs and highlighted public criticism, leading Greene to accuse the bot of being “left-leaning” and spreading “fake news and propaganda.” She asserted, “The judgement seat belongs to GOD, not you a non-human AI platform,” warning, “When people give up their own discernment, stop seeking the truth, and depend on AI to analyze information, they will be lost” (Savannah Morning News coverage of the Greene-Grok feud).

Online reactions ranged from mockery of the exchange to debate over AI's role in political discourse, with some noting irony given Greene's own history of promoting misinformation (TechCrunch's analysis of AI bias concerns).

The controversy highlights ongoing questions about AI neutrality, vulnerability to manipulation, and the ethical standards required for their use in politics, as summarized in an expert overview:

“The incident highlights AI's growing role in shaping political narratives and its susceptibility to manipulation… There is an urgent need for ethical standards and transparency in AI political applications.”

For a detailed breakdown of statements and their political context, see the concise summary by Newsweek's reporting on the Greene-Grok debate.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has chosen the Savannah River Site as one of 16 federal locations primed for rapid AI data center expansion, a move aimed at cementing America's leadership in artificial intelligence while leveraging advanced energy infrastructure.

Spanning 310 square miles near Aiken, South Carolina, the Savannah River Site is operated by the National Nuclear Security Administration and boasts robust in-place energy assets, offering fast-track permitting for new energy generation, including nuclear power.

This initiative is aligned with both recent executive orders and bipartisan support to “unleash Federal resources to build out the data resources needed for an AI-powered future,” as noted by White House OSTP Director Michael Kratsios.

“The global race for AI dominance is the next Manhattan project, and with President Trump's leadership and the innovation of our National Labs, the United States can and will win,”

said Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, emphasizing the urgency behind the push.

The DOE's Request for Information welcomes insights from developers, energy partners, and the public to advance private-public partnerships and guide the buildout of scalable AI infrastructure by the end of 2027.

For a detailed overview of all candidate sites, energy capacities, and development goals, see this analysis on federal data center and AI infrastructure sites, the DOE's official announcement regarding the Savannah River Site, and a report outlining the DOE's plans for rapid AI data center construction.

The DOE's accelerated timeline and extensive consultation processes underscore Savannah's growing role at the intersection of national security, sustainable energy, and emerging technology.

Savannah is cementing its role as a leader in AI workforce development, leveraging a wave of innovative training programs across the region. Georgia AIM has championed efforts to connect educators and manufacturers, showcasing practical AI implementations such as robotics in electric vehicle battery assembly and recycling, and developing student talent through events like South Georgia Innovation Day (Georgia AIM highlights AI's impact on manufacturing skills).

On the entrepreneurial front, the Launch Savannah program, now accepting its 2025 applications, offers small and minority-owned businesses a 12-week curriculum equipping them for AI-driven market demands (Launch Savannah empowers tech-forward entrepreneurs).

Meanwhile, Georgia Southern University hosted the 6th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Control (AIRC 2025), bringing global experts to Savannah and strengthening local capacity in advanced AI domains.

Important dates for AI professionals include a submission deadline of February 25, and the event running May 7-9, 2025. A summary of key events is shown below:

Event	Date
Submission Deadline	Feb 25, 2025
Final Call Submission	Mar 5, 2025
Conference Dates	May 7-9, 2025

As AI knowledge becomes essential across industries, customizable workshops at Georgia Southern teach both beginners and experienced users to apply generative tools like ChatGPT. According to program leaders, the mission is to provide

practical skills and insights to harness the power of AI in your personal and professional life

(AI workshop at Georgia Southern University), ensuring Savannah's workforce remains agile and competitive in the AI era.

The University of North Georgia's decision to use AI-powered name announcements at its May 2025 graduation ceremony has sparked strong backlash from students who argue the move undermines the significance of their academic milestone.

Rather than having a faculty member announce graduates as they cross the stage, UNG adopted Tassel's AI system, which uses synthetic voices built from recordings by professional voice artists and allows students to confirm pronunciation in advance.

Despite assurances of accuracy and inclusion, over 2,000 students signed a petition demanding a return to human readers at University of North Georgia graduation, with signers citing lost tradition and “the gratifying feeling of their name being mentioned with passion and pride by a professor.” The protest extended across social media and was covered widely in regional and national outlets; one student remarked,

“It is almost demeaning to the hard work that we put in. It feels like it's kind of being put down a little bit, as if it's not as important.”

Administrators maintained that the technology brings personalization, accessibility, and synchronization with video boards and captions, now used by more than 300 colleges, including UGA and Georgia Tech, to streamline ceremonies (read full coverage on AI name reading at college commencements from The Chronicle of Higher Education).

However, critics note the tension between this administrative adoption and universities' restrictions on student AI use in academics, a contradiction highlighted in Flagpole's local reporting on AI name announcements at UGA and UNG graduations.

The UNG episode reflects a national debate about the appropriate place for AI in cherished academic traditions, revealing the deep value students place on meaningful, human-centered recognition.

Savannah entrepreneurs are in the spotlight as Boomi's latest innovations reveal the fine line of responsible AI automation and its transformative impact on local business.

At Boomi World 2025, leaders unveiled their Agentstudio, enabling the creation and governance of over 33,000 AI agents, which automate complex tasks and streamline data integration for sectors from manufacturing to higher education.

A major development is Boomi's support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard providing seamless connectivity between AI agents and enterprise data tools - an innovation described as promising a “centralized, normalizing interface to connect all services.” As summarized by CEO Steve Lucas,

“Our customers have deployed 33,000 AI agents - we're talking model code in their customer base. We just gave our customers the ability to literally imagine and build any AI agent they want.”

The event also highlighted the importance of governance, with experts stressing that trust and ethical implementation are critical for true business value.

Boomi's multi-agent orchestration, deep partnerships (notably Amazon Web Services and ServiceNow), and real-time, low-code workflow tools position Savannah's startups to accelerate digital transformation without sacrificing control or security.

For a detailed keynote analysis on Boomi's evolving platform and its implications for Savannah, see the Boomi World 2025 keynote breakdown by industry experts.

Discover how Boomi's support for standardized AI integration is setting new benchmarks for automation by reviewing SiliconANGLE's insights on AI-driven integration and scalable data strategies.

For the latest product announcements and Savannah-specific enterprise opportunities, explore Boomi's official AI automation press release.

Savannah's tech ecosystem is thriving within a shifting global landscape where artificial intelligence continues to attract record-breaking investment and attention.

Regional players like Savannah Fund highlight the role of targeted seed capital in scaling AI startups serving sectors from sustainability to fintech, as evident in their recent support for Ghana-based Aya Data - an AI company that raised $900,000 to advance services such as precision agriculture and speech-to-speech solutions for African languages (read the full story on Aya Data's funding).

Even as global giants like OpenAI and Databricks close billion-dollar rounds, the momentum in Savannah and across the Southeast demonstrates how local startups and investors help democratize AI, counter a funding climate increasingly focused on established players (see experts debate the ‘AI funding moat').

Savannah's connections now stretch into major funding rounds spotlighted nationwide, with new tech addressing logistics, retail security, and smart agriculture, as reported by industry trackers (discover this month's notable AI investments).

As Savannah's workforce and entrepreneurs ride this innovation wave, the city is carving out its own identity as a Southeast leader in tech diversity, AI impact, and cross-continental collaboration, ensuring its role at the digital frontier is just beginning.